I'll be amazed of Camelot races again after the leger if I'm honest. They won't take on frankel, ballydoyle have plenty more lambs to send to that slaughter, and I can't see them risking his unbeaten record in the arc! Win the triple crown then retire with his unbeaten record still intact.
I have to admit I have found it hard to buy into the Camelot hype. Perhaps my old age () has made me a cynic, but the Coolmore stallion marketing machine just takes the fun out of it these days!
He's proven that he is very good and that he is versatile. However, he is a long way off proving that he is anything approaching exceptional. I hope they keep him in training next season so he gets the chance to show what he is capable of.
I think the telling thing about Ballydoyle/Coolmore is how few horses they are now prepared to put up against Frankel. Look at Sea the Stars, they must have been convinced he was beatable as they threw so many different horses at him without making a mark. It looks as if they are resigned to never getting close to Frankel and are not even going to try anymore. If Camelot wins the Leger I wouldn't be surprised to see him head to the Arc, 3 year olds have a great record in the race, but I don't think there's an ice cream's chance in a furnace that he will line up against Frankel.
Racing is becoming more like wrestling these days. Lots of hype and its satisfying when your favourite characters win, but most of the time a damp squib. The Coolmore marketing machine for me personally is destroying racing. We've got one of the best champions of all time in Frankel and people are running away rather than giving him the respect he deserves by facing him and finding out how good he really is. It is so, so disappointing. If Frankel can't race anyone, then really what is the point of horse racing? I'm losing my tether with the sport to be honest. We cry out for legends like this and then we have no one to race against him because they are keeping stallion value in tact. The real racing fans know the truth so why hide it?
Agreed TopClass, as others have said, why no trainer with a half decent filly has thrown her into a G1 race against Frankel, which is likely to cut up to just a handful of runners meaning black-type and decent place money on offer, is beyond me. Trainers are a funny bunch. Look at how many of them cry out for more Conditions races for their decent horses, yet whenever they are staged you are lucky to get 5 or 6 runners!
